Chapter 10
Chapter
10
Zuri contemplated and tried to talk herself
out of it. There were several reasons she should leave well enough
alone. Her brother was right. She was going to have to stay away from
Jason. As much as she liked the kid, and she did, he appealed to
something deep inside her. A tug, a yearning. Maybe it was because of
her indignation that a mother could walk away from her child.
Or it might be the fact that she was
longing for a child of her own. Whatever it was, the yearning was
getting stronger. But she was going to have to do damage control.
Jack Hadley was a very powerful man,
and having him as an enemy would not do. And then there was Jason.
She did not want him taking it out on the child.
So, she was going to have to swallow her
damn pride, tuck her tail between her legs, and grovel if necessary,
no matter how distasteful that was. And she was going to have to do
it on his turf, which would give him an even greater advantage. She
would get it done and be able to tell her brother that she had made
amends and from now on, she would mind her own business.
Things were awkward between them for the
first time, and she could not stand that. They were barely talking to
each other. That would not do.
It took her until almost the end of the day
to make the call to his office.
"Mr. Hadley's office, how may I help
you?" The voice sounded snotty and had her spirits plummeting.
The woman sounded like a regular bitch, and there was no way she was
going to give her any information. But she had to try.
"Hi," she had to take a breath.
"My name is Zuri Bennett, and I would like to talk to Mr.
Hadley, if he's available."
"May I say what it's about?" The
polite voice had chilled slightly, causing Zuri's hackles to rise.
"It's personal."
"Mr. Hadley is very busy-"
"Look, just tell him who it is."
She paused. "Tell him it's about his son." That should do
it.
"Kindly hold," the woman said
frostily.
She was treated to holding music, some sort
of classic that had her nerves stretching thin. She should have just
gone to his office and been done with it. Sinking down in the chair,
she realized to her surprise that her limbs were trembling. Damn him.
Her spine straightened when the voice she
heard was not the assistant, but him.
"Ms. Bennett, what do you want?"
"Is it possible we could have a
face-to-face conversation?"
There was a pause, and she knew he was
surprised at the request.
"Why?"
"I want to clear the air. Please. Just
a few minutes of your time."
There was a pause again, and she waited
with bated breath.
"I have a meeting in five minutes. Be
here at seven thirty." Without waiting for her assent, he hung
up the phone.
"Well!" Blowing out a breath, she
leaned back and closed her eyes. At least he had agreed to see her.
It was now up to her to make the best of it.
*****
By the time she arrived at the lofty
high-rise building, her nerves were jumping. She had not said
anything to Zach about where she was off to at this time of the night
when the club was at its fullest, and he had not asked. Goes to show
how much their relationship had deteriorated. She had to fix it. But
first, she was going to have to get through this meeting, with a man
who brought out the worst in her.
She had seen photos of the corporate office
on the internet and in magazines of course, but her first up-close
sight of it had her breath strangling in her throat. Her first
impression was of hundreds of glass and stone. The parking lot was a
sweeping space that disappeared around the back of the building. Palm
trees fluttered their leaves in the
wind, and flowers bloomed in extravagant colors in contained spaces
at either side of the towering glass doors.
Sitting behind the wheel, she contemplated
how different it was to have tons of money. The patch of land where
the bar sat on was practically a square, and she had been coaxing
some rose bushes as well as wild irises to life over the past weeks,
and they were finally coming to bloom.
But this was so far from her own effort to
bring color to their building. This was in a league of its own. She
had been overwhelmed when she took Jason home, but this was entirely
different. This brought home the fact that she was up against a
giant. It was taking wealth to an entirely different level.
Realizing that her palms were sweating and
that she was strangling the steering wheel, she eased her hands off
and sat back to take a deep breath. He was just a damn man, and
besides, hadn't David defeated the giant in the Bible? Wiping her
sweaty palms over her jeans, she bolstered herself up and shoved the
car door open. He was just a man, she repeated to herself. And a rude
and lousy father.
"No." Shaking her head, she
secured the car and slung her bag over her shoulder. "I must put
that out of my mind. I will not go there. I am here to apologize, and
that's what I am going to do. Five minutes tops. And then I will be
on my way." Pressing her lips together, she headed for the
entrance.
From his vantage point in his office, Jack
watched her through the one-way glass. His meeting had run a little
over, and the participants had left a few minutes ago. His assistant
had also gone for the day. With a drink in hand, he stood there
watching her apparently fighting an
internal battle as she sat behind the wheel. He should not have
agreed to the meeting. He should have told her to go to hell, but his
curiosity was piqued, and he could not wait to hear what she had to
say.
He watched as she exited the vehicle and
looked around as if trying to get her bearings. And he could swear
that she muttered something to herself. Lifting the glass to his
lips, he continued to monitor her movement through narrowed eyes.
Things were not going well with his son, but at least the boy had not
tried to slip away and tried to see her.
His eyes were unwillingly drawn to the
seductive sway of hips and her confident strides before he was aware
of it. The animal in him stirred before he tamped it back. He was
going to have to get rid of her and fast.
The lobby was even more impressive than the
exterior, with its gleaming marble floors, high ceilings, and modern
artwork adorning the walls. She approached the reception desk, where
a brawny uniformed guard greeted her with a professional smile.
"Good evening, I'm here to see Mr.
Jack Hadley," she said, her voice steady despite her rapid
heartbeat.
"Of course, Ms. Bennett. He's
expecting you. Please take the elevator to the top floor."
As the elevator ascended, she watched the
numbers light up, counting down the seconds until the inevitable
confrontation. When the doors slid open, she stepped into a sleek
hallway lined with floor-to-ceiling windows, offering a breathtaking
view of the city skyline.
Taking a deep breath, she walked briskly
towards the large mahogany doors at the end of the corridor.
"Come in," he said, his voice
smooth and controlled.
She entered the spacious office, taking in
the luxurious decor and the sense of power that emanated from every
corner. He was seated behind a massive baronial desk, in what she
realized was a deliberate position of power. He had shed the ash gray
jacket, and the top two buttons of his shell pink shirt were
loosened, revealing a strong tanned throat. His shirt sleeves were
rolled up to the elbows.
His face was expressionless, and Zuri had
to force herself not to squirm as the unfathomable gray eyes tracked
her progress across the lush gold carpet. The man was intimidating
even when he was not uttering a word.
He gestured to a chair, and she sat down,
her hands clasped tightly in her lap.
"Let's get to the point," he
interrupted, his eyes narrowing. "Why are you here?"
Forcing herself to relax, she slid
backwards in the chair and had to tamp down a sigh of pure indulgence
as the padded cushion enveloped her body.
"To apologize."
When he did not say anything, she squelched
the urge to just get up and walk out. The man was hateful!
"I realize that I was wrong in
encouraging Jason to come and see me, and the things I said to you
were not necessary. It's none of my business how you deal with your
son."
When he continued to stare at her without
saying anything, she felt her hackles rising.
"Look, this is not easy for me. And I
wish you would say something."
"Like what?"
"Like you accept my apology."
"As far as apologies go, yours leave a
lot to be desired."
Her eyes flashed, and everything she had
talked to herself about not doing went through the open door.
"I swallowed my pride and came here to
do the right thing, and you're being an ass about it. I get that you
think you're somehow untouchable, reigning in this glass temple of
yours, but you're still a man who is not doing what he's supposed to
be doing as a parent. That boy needs his father, and instead of being
home to look at his homework or go to a game or two, you're sitting
here at minutes to eight, trying to make more money than you already
have. How much money can one person possibly spend in their lifetime?
One day you're going to look back and realize that you made the wrong
choice, and then it will be too late!"
The silence that followed her outburst was
profound and strained with tension. Belatedly, she realized that
instead of making amends, she had compounded the situation by making
it worse. Her brother was going to kill her, and the man seated
behind the desk was going to destroy their legacy. They were doomed.
She rose unsteadily, going still when he
rose slowly and stepped from behind his desk.
"Look-"
"Shut up." He said it in such a
calm and controlled manner that if she had not seen the pulse ticking
beside his left eye, she would not have known how angry he was. And
for the first time since bucking heads with him, she felt the acrid
taste of fear inside her mouth.
Ignoring the desperate need to flee, she
stood her ground and angled her chin despite her hammering heart.
"What? No more barbs?" He stood
in front of her and had to rein in the violence blowing through him
like a storm.
"I have said too much already, and I
have taken up enough of your time. I'll just-" She broke off
with a gasp when, in a lightning move that had her blinking, his
hands shot out to halt her edging towards the door. With fingers
digging into her arms, he hauled her closer, gray eyes smoldering.
"Please," she whispered. Beneath
the fear vibrating inside her, she felt the undertone of a desire
that was sending heat shooting through her body. It was so unexpected
and so tangible; her body was vibrating with it.
"Please what?" His voice was
silky, his face hard and unyielding. "Don't give you what you
deserve? You came into my office, claiming that you want to
apologize, but staying true to bloody form, you maligned my character
and pretend that you know a damn thing about me."
He shook her hard enough to have the hair
she had loosely pinned up tumbling down and around her shoulders and
face. In spite of himself, Jack's gaze was riveted on
it, the fat curls with their golden ends fascinating him. The lust
pouring through him left him feeling both angry and staggered at the
same time. His eyes flew to her face, taking in the stark fear and
vulnerability in her golden-brown eyes before touching on her parted
lips.
He literally felt when his control snapped
like a twig, to be replaced by a violence he never knew existed
inside him. One tiny part of his mind warned him to step back, that
making this move would forever change his life, but it was quickly
swept away by a current so rapid, he felt as if he was drowning.
Ignoring the warning bells going off, he shoved her up against the
doors and closed them with a snap.
At first, Zuri was too stunned to do
anything but grab and grip his shirt in tight fists. Her eyes went
wide, and she had a moment of fear as she stared into a face gone
dark with intense passion. Her heart was roaring so loudly, it
drowned everything out.
Jack gave her one small chance to push him
away, and when she didn't take it, he seized her lips. He was hungry.
Christ Almighty! He was greedy for her. The taste of her surrounded
him, poured into him like an avalanche, and had him wanting more.
His fingers grabbed her hair, sending pins
scattering as he lifted her head. His mouth plundered hers. He wanted
his hands all over her body. He wanted all of her and was not going
to stop until that was accomplished.
A dim part of her brain was screaming at
her to get him to stop. But she was drowning. Emotions swirled
through her like a tidal wave and had her tearing at his shirt to get
to his skin. Not fully aware that he had shrugged out of the ruined
shirt, he concentrated on her mouth, his long, lean body pressing
against hers.
Tearing his mouth from hers, he savaged her
throat, using tongue and teeth until they were both crazy with need.
Tugging the sweater over her head, he broke the clasp of her bra and
filled his palms with her small breasts. Her nipples were aching.
When the moan escaped her, it tore at something inside him.
For the first time in his life, he was
feeling everything. His body was one big ball of heat, so intense, he
felt as if he was burning from the inside out. He had to have her.
If he didn't, he was not going to survive
the night.
When her hands raced over his chest,
tangling with the hairs covering his skin, he thought he was going to
die.
"Now!" she cried, head thrown
back to give him access to her nipples. He took. He needed to.
His lips closed over one rigid nipple and
had her crying out. Her body arched towards his hungry mouth, and she
felt her insides melt as he suckled greedily.
Nothing had ever tasted this good, he
thought hazily. With fingers digging into her hips, he transferred to
the next nipple and gave it the same ardent treatment.
No words were spoken between them. Nothing
was said, but their bodies revealed everything. He had never felt
such desire pouring through his body. It was overwhelming, making it
difficult to even have a solid thought. His mind had emptied of
everything but the woman writhing beneath his hands.
Lifting his head, he stared at her blindly
before lifting her into his arms and carrying her to the comfortable
sofa tucked beneath the window. As if afraid that she was going to
try and escape him, he dragged off his pants and toed off his shoes.
Zuri got an impression of bronzed skin,
muscled chest, before he lowered himself over her. She had taken off
her sandals when he was undressing and was working on her jeans when
he stopped her.
"Let me," his voice was rough,
his body tensed. Without looking at her, he got rid of the jeans,
going still as he stared at the quivering stomach, eyes drifting down
to the flimsy lace covering her sex.
With a low groan, he palmed her sex, eyes
flying to her face as she arched her body. It took just that to make
her fly. His body responded violently as he took in the parted lips
and the stunned look on her beautiful face.
With a feral growl, he covered her body
with his, driving into her without thought of consequences.
He went still when her tightness wrapped
around him and had to ease back a little to gain some of the control
he had lost. His skin was coated with sweat, his heart a jack hammer
pounding inside his chest. Digging his fingers through her thick
curls, he lifted her head and brought his down.
Smothering the cries erupting from her, he
kissed her savagely, his body moving desperately as if trying to
outpace the reactions inside his body. The pleasure made him faint.
Nothing in his entire life had ever felt so good. He was drowning in
her taste and the feel of her. Her scent, seductive and subtle, the
taste of her lips, the feel of her wrapped around him was more than
he could bear.
When she arched against him, fingers
digging into his back, he gripped her hip and turned her slightly as
the climax ripped through her like a violent storm.
He was right behind her. His body went
stiff as the fire swirled and took on a power that swept him away in
its wake.
It took several minutes for them to move.
He was slumped on top of her as he fought for control. His breathing
was shallow, and he could not move. He could not even feel his limbs.
When she stirred, he found the strength to roll off her.
Zuri stayed where she was, her heart still
banging inside her chest, her body still melting. She watched as he
rose and grabbed his pants. Without putting on his underwear, he
dragged it on, his back turned towards her. Without once looking at
her, he went to the door to retrieve their clothing scattered on the
carpet in front of the door.
Tossing her sweater and the ruined bra to
her, he shrugged on his shirt, forced to leave it open because the
buttons were scattered all over the carpet.
"Get dressed," he said tersely,
glancing at her briefly, his gaze sliding away from the seductive
picture she presented.
Walking to the cabinet, he grabbed a bottle
of scotch. Tugging out the stopper, he did not bother with a glass
but simply drank from the bottle.
Zuri slowly sat up, drawing her knees to
her chest as she watched him with a guarded expression. The silence
between them was thick, filled with unspoken questions and unresolved
tension. Her mind was a whirl of conflicting emotions, the echoes of
their shared passion still resonating within her.
When he said nothing and turned his back on
her, she rose and hurriedly put on her clothes. Her hair was a mess,
and she was certain that anyone seeing her would guess exactly what
she had been up to.
Walking to the chair, she grabbed her purse
and stood there waiting for him to say something. Anything. But he
stood there staring out the window, the bottle of scotch gripped in
his hand like a weapon.
Sighing deeply, she left, slamming the
doors shut behind her.
He continued to stare out the window, a
frown touching his brow, his shoulders tensed, his body still wracked
with desire and passion. He was not prone to making mistakes because
he could not afford to. Had learned a long time ago that mistakes
cost dearly. And he had never in all his life gone with a woman
without using protection.
Not even when his son had been conceived;
that was why he had doubted that the boy was his, until he had seen
him, and even then, he had insisted on a DNA test. Because of his
hellish upbringing, he had never wanted to be a father, so he had
been extra careful. Until now.
Christ Jesus! He had gone at her like a man
possessed. The farthest thing from his mind had been the
consequences. That was how much he wanted her.
He stared grimly as she made her way
towards her vehicle. He watched as she slid into the driver's side
and just sat there. Turning the bottle to his head, he drank steadily
and stared blindly as she left the parking lot.